Hair cut panic

by Lauren
(Alabama)

Our son has tactile issues with clothing but also with the hair clippings on his skin from getting his hair cut.




He goes in to "fight or flight' when getting a hair cut. We have had to change hairdresses so many times because after a while, they recognize you and remember the torture of cutting your child's hair!

We have tried making him wear a cape or towel (which he also can't stand to have around his neck). The hair clippings irritate his skin and he screams, kicks and scratches until he is red all over. It takes an extremely long time to cut his hair, disrupts the entire shop, and I am afraid of him getting cut with all the jerking he does.

The only thing that helped, was me attempting to cut his hair at home and giving him a brush to brush the clippings off. This took over an hour to finish, covered my house with hair and it wasn't a very good hair cut.

He needs another hair cut (a professional one) this week for some portraits we are having made. Any ideas to get him ready for it and help him through it?



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Jan 21, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		How to remove stray clippings from damp skin?
by: Ann

What is the best way to remove stray clippings from skin in a high-humidity place? The humidity here is often over 80%, and the hair trimmings stick to damp skin like cockleburrs!

We've tried brushing them off (with a makeup brush), toweling them off, flicking them off (with a fingernail), picking them off individually, showering; nothing seems to work! (Unfortunately, we don't have a bathtub, just a shower stall.)

Is there a secret trick someone can share? Thanks!
Oct 24, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		The dreaded hair cut
by: Anonymous

Although my 12 year old son still looks at me in disgust when getting hair cut it is the after effects. The hair cut t-shirt will go on and as soon as finished it is whipped off then the real melt down begins. A shower for as long as 1hour. Then we will be stuck in the house the rest of the weekend. Won't put clothes on and this usually takes 5 days to overcome resulting to him missing school. I've tried everything rubbing Vic on his neck talk powder and the softest cotton tops still can't get over it. My son has got it imbeded in his head that 5 days before he will feel slightly better. Any advice would be fab.😢😢
Jun 23, 2013
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		It will get better
by: Anonymous

I can relate to your description. My son was foaming at the mouth at the last barber shop we took him to before resorting to home cuts. Even the kid salon with video game chairs asked us not to come back!

My son is now 15. He is very well adjusted and has outgrown all of these symptoms. He even asks for hair cuts now! I know this doesn't help now, but just know they can mature out of the irrational behavior.
Jan 18, 2013
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Hair cuts
by: Anonymous

I know what you are going through, my 11yr old hate his cut. We have tried so many things, he use to scream and take fits when it came to Hair cuts. We use have to hold him Down to cut his hair. Their we're times we had to pin him down and he would make it sound like he was being hurt.

Ways we made improvements with it, summer time we cut it outside, clip a little then let him go run for few, fall n spring we would do it outside also. Winter months we will try and not do hair cuts.

We also found out it was sounds of the clippers that bother him. So we found ones that were very quite, and now he will sit still for a quick buzz. He likes going to barber for a cut as long as they don't use the clipper he does ok. It still takes about ah hour for cut because he can't still long enough. I have found if you explain the issues the will work with him.
Sep 20, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		This is exactly like me
by: Tae

I hate getting my haircut, and hold it off as long as possible.

I jump into a pool of cool water and have to brush the hair off of my skin for 5 minutes.

The hair itches me during my haircut, and I really hate it.

I hate getting my hair combed because it hurts.

The spray bottle that the hairdresser uses to wet my hair makes me nervous.
Aug 27, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		try clippers
by: Anonymous

My son does the same thing. He is now four. We have found that no reward was good enough for him to handle the feeling of those hairs on his neck. Luckily, this is a boy, so we found the best way to cut his hair is by letting him lean his head over and we cut it with clippers. This way the hairs fall directly on the floor and never touch his skin. It's not a bad hair cut. It looks like a short summer cut.
Jun 22, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		make it a game
by: Anonymous

My 4 y.o. still hates haircuts but we try to make it a game. We're farmers and he loves helping Dad so we joke that cutting his hair is like cutting the crop. "Wow, this is a great crop! Look at all that wheat we're cutting. Here goes the combine..." And the hair IS itchy. Having him brush it away himself is a great idea. We go straight to the tub/shower to wash it off after. I use clippers, not scissors to help with the danger factor with a jerky head. I use a shorter guard (1/4") on the sides and back and a bit longer (1/2") on the top, then trim around his ears with just the clippers. Good luck!
Apr 19, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Hair Cut
by: Jonny

We went through this with our little boy but we did it at home, with rewards, a dry run first, getting to know my hair clippers and in front of the TV.

Somehow it worked and eventually he got brave enough to cope with going to a special kid's barber who has videogames in the barbershop for kids to play while having the cut.

It's definitely not easy but we prepped the barber and our kid and he gave him a really quick cut. It helps the barber knew to expect it might not work and had us come at a quiet time of day.

Good luck
Mar 29, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		use reward system
by: mjb

try a reward - something he really wants that you can keep discussing during the hair cut to help divert his attention. It will most likely still be difficult - but could help a little bit - also consider crew cut so the hair-cutting does not have to happen very often

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